Blog
INTERVIEW Terry Theise, Berkeley, California
The Sommelier Journal May 31 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS The famed importer’s philosophy emanates from a respect for the land. Terry Theise is a man after my own heart: passionate champion of underdogs; perfume lover (with scarce opportunities to wear it); seeker of balance in wine, people, and life; natural educator and co-conspirator; and bon vivant whose […]
APPELLATION Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France
The Sommelier Journal February 28 2012 Catherine Fallis MS Outstanding values are emanating from this enclave just south of the Côte d’Or. Nestled between the white-collar Côte de Beaune and the working-class Mâconnais in southern Burgundy, the Côte Chalonnaise is an often-overlooked treasure trove of delicious, earthy, and seductive Pinot Noirs; well-priced Chardonnays; and the […]
INTERVIEW Georges Duboeuf, Beaujolais, France
The Sommelier Journal January 15 2012 Catherine Fallis, MS The “king of Beaujolais” shares his views on wine, art, and his beloved home region. French winemakers don’t often use the phrase “vintage of a lifetime,” but that is what Georges Duboeuf exclaimed as we sat over a lunch of confit of Moulard duck leg and salade […]
APPELLATION Mâconnais, Burgundy, France
The Sommelier Journal October 15 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS The Côte d’Or’s southern neighbor may be ready for its closeup. French Chardonnay is at its best in the heart of Burgundy, especially in such legendary Côte de Beaune vineyards as Meursault and Montrachet. A short distance south, though, Chardonnay also stars in the Mâconnais—a small, […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Quady Winery, Madera, California
The Sommelier Journal June 15 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS A remote winery has blazed a path for California dessert bottlings. At three hours from San Francisco and two and a half from San Jose, Calif., Quady Winery is very much off the beaten path. Tucked in between switchbacks of the Sierra Nevada and the farmland […]
INTERVIEW Christian Moueix, Jean-Pierre Moueix, Libourne, France
The Sommelier Journal January 31 2011 Catherine Fallis, MS A top Bordeaux producer has a passion for Napa. As I pulled into the parking lot of Dominus in Yountville, Calif., I couldn’t help but notice the difference between this discreet, nearly invisible structure and the many architectural showcases along Highway 29. I had already learned […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Cantine Borgo di Colleredo, Molise, Italy
The Sommelier Journal September 15 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS A meticulous producer has helped put Molise on the wine map. If nothing else can be said about sommeliers as a group, one thing is certain: they are passionate about seeking out new wines, meeting new winemakers, and discovering off-the-beaten-path producers in remote areas. Importer Stephen […]
INTERVIEW Leonardo LoCascio, Winebow
The Sommelier Journal July 31 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS A Sicilian native has brought intriguing, family-based Italian wines to America for three decades. Leonardo LoCascio is as bold in his fashion choices as he is in his beliefs. He recently sat next to me at a Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino tasting in San Francisco, […]
INTERVIEW Laura Catena, Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina
The Sommelier Journal April 30 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS This San Francisco physician is one of the leading figures on the Argentine wine scene. I’ve known Laura Catena for years through the wine industry and see her fairly often, since we live near each other in San Francisco. She leaves as much of a lasting […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Arnaldo Caprai, Umbria, Italy
The Sommelier Journal March 15 2010 Catherine Fallis, MS Marco Caprai has elevated Sagrantino to the top rank of Italian varietals. For Italy, Arnaldo Caprai is a relatively new wine producer—especially when compared with the centuries of experience of the Antinori, Frescobaldi, or even Biondi-Santi families. Arnaldo Caprai founded this Umbrian winery in 1971, after […]
SOMMELIER SPOTLIGHT Madeline Triffon, Matt Prentice Restaurant Group, Detroit
The Sommelier Journal November 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS America’s first woman Master Sommelier is a role model for those who have followed in her path. In 1987, Madeline Triffon became America’s first and the world’s second female Master Sommelier, following England’s Claudia Harris. She passed on her first try (the only woman to do so […]
INTERVIEW Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, California
The Sommelier Journal October 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS For this premium producer, it’s all about sustainability, balance, and paying attention to the little things. Wines from Shafer Vineyards, in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, are highly sought after year after year by top collectors and restaurant wine directors around the world. These awe-inspiring […]
COVER STORY Provence: Heaven for the Senses
The Sommelier Journal September 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS With plentiful sunshine, a rugged coastline, quaint fishing villages, and some of the most delicious seafood in the world, Provence is almost as well known to American visitors as Paris is. Situated between the Rhône delta and Nice in southeastern France, Provence is easily accessible by land […]
WINERY SPOTLIGHT Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France
The Sommelier Journal August 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS This iconic Champagne virtually sells itself. Dom Pérignon, the flagship wine of Champagne powerhouse Moët & Chandon, defines luxury in all its effervescent glory. Dom Pérignon is an international symbol of success, a universal icon believed even by teetotalers to be the best Champagne in the world. […]
INTERVIEW Josh Jensen, Calera Wine Company, Mount Harlan, California
The Sommelier Journal July 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS Limestone is the magic ingredient for this neo-Burgundian winemaker perched atop the Gabilan Mountains. Calera had been on my radar from the earliest days of my wine education. I had read about it in the textbooks for Harriet Lembeck’s wine course, a prerequisite for my job at […]
INTERVIEW Donald Ziraldo, Inniskillin, Ontario and British Columbia
The Sommelier Journal June 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS Noted for both extreme skiing and extreme winemaking, this northern pioneer describes how he helped launch the modern Canadian wine industry. I first met Donald Ziraldo while researching Canada for The Global Encyclopedia of Wine several years ago. He organized extensive, region-wide tours and tastings for me and […]
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT Alexander’s Steakhouse, Cupertino, California
The Sommelier Journal May 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS A passion for wine, a sophisticated menu, and a knowledgeable staff are the hallmarks of this Bay Area steakhouse. I first met JC Chen, owner of Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino, Calif., at La Paulée de San Francisco last year. He was a guest at my assigned station […]
INTERVIEW Gary Pisoni, Pisoni Vineyards & Winery, Gonzales, California
The Sommelier Journal March 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS Gary Pisoni is larger than life. Meet him once, and you’ll never forget him. Apparently, I had the same effect on him. As we sat on the shaded deck and barbecue terrace at Pisoni Ranch in the southern Santa Lucia Highlands, he and his son Mark […]
Crystal Vision: Choices in today’s glassware
The Sommelier Journal February 2009 Catherine Fallis, MS In the past, sommeliers basically had two options for stemware—a durable budget choice, such as the popular Schott Zwiesel Mondial, or the blue-chip standard, Riedel. Considering the wide disparity in cost, many sommeliers had to dole out the nice stemware only to the guests who ordered high-ticket […]
INTERVIEW Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, California
The Sommelier Journal November 2008 Catherine Fallis, MS A few days before the summer solstice, during an early northern California heat wave, I was on my way to meet Merry Edwards in her new, multimillion-dollar winery. Driving along Gravenstein Highway in the central Russian River Valley, I kept my eyes peeled for a sign. Although […]
TERROIR Cole Ranch, Mendocino, California
The Sommelier Journal October 2008 Catherine Fallis, MS Ask any sommelier certification candidate about Cole Ranch, and you’ll likely get either a smile or a grimace, depending on the test results. Cole Ranch pops up frequently in test questions because it is the nation’s smallest American Viticultural Area (AVA) and because one family owns the […]
SPECIAL REPORT Chianti Classico
The Sommelier Journal August 2008 Catherine Fallis, MS Tuscany is one of the world’s most established and aristocratic wine regions. Because its reputation is never in question, winemakers here can afford to look at the big picture—where they want to be for the next several generations—unlike those in up-and-coming areas, where the pressure to make […]
The Shifting Landscape of Champagne
The Sommelier Journal July 2008 Catherine Fallis, MS The Champenois are considered the best marketers in the world. They’ve had to be—at least until recently. The emerging middle classes of India and China and the nouveau riche of Russia are inhaling Champagne faster than Baby Phat designer Kimora Lee Simmons, who apparently prefers the […]
INTERVIEW Heidi Peterson Barrett, La Sirena, Napa Valley, California
The Sommelier Journal June 2008 Catherine Fallis, MS For a woman who changed the face of California wine, Heidi Peterson Barrett is decidedly unassuming. As we sat chatting on the deck of a coffee house in St. Helena, Calif., the light in her dazzling green-blue eyes danced with excitement. She was coughing from a second […]
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